Morning,

Just some random thoughts for next year really. Want to tick this off the ‘must do’ list. We often go to Burgundy for family holidays so next year we’ll do that, i’ll then take a night away on my own and do 1 or more classic TDF climbs. Something like Alp D’Huez, Galibier, etc… I don’t know enough to say which or how etc.

Which is the bit where you come in.

Ideally i’ll grab a hotel within 5KM of the start, i’m happy with 4-5 hours total, i’ll then end up back at the same hotel. I don’t care how great the down is, i don’t like going down on a road bike, it’s all about the climbs. Somewhere to stop in the middle for some food, if it means extending the ride, that’s fine with me… I also am fine if i need to loop round the bottom to get back to start point etc.

So, what do you have for me?

Go stay in Borg-d’Oissans – bottom of Alp d’Huez pick up a bunch of leaflets from the local tourist office, ride your arse off… lots of brilliant loops there.

You can’t avoid the downs. Or the ups. There are loads of places to stop and eat and gawp at the scenery. Its just how it is.

LOL i completely accept i can’t avoid the downs, it’s just that for me, unlike many riders, they’re not the reason i’m going. If i got Mrs Weeksy to meet me at the top i wouldn’t be upset. I’m only going to be there for 1 days riding, so want to make the most of it.

http://www.wagenvoort.net/other/RouteLM.jpg La Marmotte is a classic alpine route starting and finishing in Bourg d’Oisans.

I don’t care how great the down is

You are dead to me…

Getting down right is more than brute strength a whole skill set in its own right.

This link might be of some use to you

Map of French Alps Cycling Climbs

Very useful 🙂 Thank you.

Over Col du Glandon, down to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, then return via Col de la Croix de Fer?

4-5hrs for linking several tdf climbs together is not a lot…..2 hours for col du Glandon or Croix de Fer from Bourg d’Oisans for example. 1 to 1 1/2 hours for l’alpe d’huez etc. For the full traditional Marmotte Route( BDO-Glandon-Télégraphe-Galibier-Lauteret (in descent)-l’Alpe d’Huez I’m looking at 9 hours under race conditions: i.e. stopping only to fill up bottles. You might of course be very fit and very speedy…..

Just do La Marmotte route – covers about 4 of them…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/5bekxY]La Marmotte Sportif[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

I’ve ridden it a few times, not for the faint hearted.

What sort of time is that buddy ?

You might of course be very fit and very speedy

then again… .i might not 🙂

Plan is forming now with my riding mate. Although it would be a rather big jump into outdoors downhill riding

Download this… http://oisans.com/noewp_telechargements/!/dl_id/18/titre/guide-cyclo/

Do Alpe d’Huez then continue over to the Col de Sarenne drop down to the barrage on the road from the Lauteret and back in to Bourg d’Oisans.

You could do the Croix de Fer and the Glandon in the same ride as they’re on the same hill near enough.
There’s quite a bit of flat between Bourg and the foot of the climb though.
The descent is a fast one aswell. If you’ve got disc brakes then you’ll be fine, but I’d be wary of dragging your rim brakes on the way down as you’ll risk a blowout.

You’d probably be able to sneak in an amble up alpe d huez once you got back to Bourg as it’s right on the doorstep. It’s a nice evening ride as it’s a bit quieter. You’ll probably be happier with the descent aswell since it’s a bit slower than the CDF for example.

Doing Glandon and CDF, then taking the turn just before the dam wall at Allemond takes you up the back way to Alpe d’Huez and cuts out all the flat. It’s a really nice climb.

Do Alpe d’Huez then continue over to the Col de Sarenne drop down to the barrage on the road from the Lauteret and back in to Bourg d’Oisans.

Or after crossing the barrage, turn left and do Les Deux Alpes, and meet your wife for lunch there.

(we always stay in Les Deux Alpes when we do the Marmotte.)

Doing Glandon and CDF, then taking the turn just before the dam wall at Allemond takes you up the back way to Alpe d’Huez and cuts out all the flat. It’s a really nice climb.

Yep, that’s a nice way back. Spent a week staying in a chalet in Alpe d’Huez village and got sick of riding the main route up after each day’s ride….